CONTENT WARNING: i mentioned some of this at the start of the fic, but just to make sure (and because one of them isn't listed at the start), warnings for emetophobia (fear of vomiting), discussion of child abuse, and general cat-related animal death. thanks for reading! happy belated valentine's day!

A pale pink glow emanated from Silvally's eyes as they awaited their trainer's next command, the fur around their neck spread wide, as if they needed to look any bigger to something just over half their size.

Persian would be getting the first move, Gladion knew that much. Silvally, for all their power, had always seemed a little lacking in foot speed. At the very least, if Silvally got a few solid hits in with Multi-Attack…

No…There was no time to think about strategy. Gladion's eyes narrowed, and he looked ahead to Nanu.

"Silvally," he called out, "Use Multi-Attack!"

As quickly as Gladion's command rang out, however, so did Nanu's. It was far quieter, not to mention controlled. Just one word: "Thunderbolt." Before Silvally could even reach it, Persian's fur began to crackle with electricity, and just as Silvally positioned themself to lunge forward, an electric blast was shot straight from her forehead, hitting Silvally head-on. A mechanical screech erupted from the larger Pokémon as it was hit, stopped in its tracks and forced to take that moment to recover. For a brief moment, as Persian prepared to attack once more, the glow faded from Silvally's eyes.

Then, suddenly, it returned, this time spreading to their tail and the spikes adorning their head, its bright pink glow signaling Silvally's current type loud and clear: Fairy. In that moment, Silvally dashed towards the fleeing Persian, slamming a foot down on her tail and clawing at her back legs as she desperately kicked back, trying to free herself before Silvally managed to get a hit in. Silvally swiped at Persian's side, knocking her off balance as they let go of her tail, letting out a deep hiss.

"That's it, Silvally! Just like that," Gladion called out, "Come on! You can get another hit in! X-Scissor!"

Persian seemed to glance back at her trainer before Silvally rushed towards her once more. She seemed to realize that their fight had been getting almost dangerously close to her trainer, even with all the space they'd had outside.

For a Pokémon like Persian, such actions were unforgivable. She darted to the side, forcing Silvally to skid to a halt, their legs now deep in the soft, muddy ground. Neither Persian nor Nanu wasted any time with their next actions as Silvally struggled to free themself, completely vulnerable to anything Persian decided to throw at them.

"Persian. Power Gem."

Light emanated from Persian's forehead, quickly forming several sharp, glowing crystals that merely levitated by her head for a split second before she shot them forward at Silvally's side. The gems scraped against the larger Pokémon's thick skin, leaving a soft, reddened area. Silvally cried out in pain, their legs still barely free. Clearly, they were exhausted.

A wave of panic hit Gladion. Had Silvally been backed into a corner?

No. There had to be a way out of things. They'd gotten themselves out of tighter spaces before, hadn't they?

They'd made it through even worse battles together. They'd fought Nihilego together, and they'd done their part to defend the region. They wouldn't simply be defeated by one of the kahunas, not after they'd pulled so many wins out of-

Nothing. An idea crossed Gladion's mind, but the question remained of whether or not it'd work. It was their last resort, and they'd have to take advantage of it the moment it happened, but…

Gladion gritted his teeth. They would walk out of this one the winners, no matter how many close situations they'd go through once their next foe was sent out.

"Silvally!" Gladion called out, "Just focus on freeing yourself! Get back over here if you can!"

Silvally looked back to their trainer, a knowing look in their eyes. Persian, on the other hand, stood tall and confident, a dark aura suddenly emanating from her.

Without another word, Nanu took an entirely different stance. Legs apart, arms up, acting like he was some wild beast, ready to pounce, and that smirk on his face.

"Finish them off, Persian…Black Hole Eclipse!" he called out.

Persian's forehead turned dark, suddenly, and the aura emanating from her suddenly seemed to rise into the sky, forming a massive dark hole. Silvally's legs were slowly pulled from the ground, all before they were sucked into the hole above, barely hearing their trainer's order:

"Just hold on, Silvally! Hold on, and strike from there!"

In an instant, the hole faded away, leaving Silvally to fall. They would fall those several feet to the ground in mere moments.

What neither trainer had expected was for Silvally to reach out, their claws glowing brightly, and strike Persian's forehead as they hit the ground. Persian screeched in pain, and for a single moment, both Pokémon stood.

Then, as quickly as their fight had started, it ended.

Both Pokémon let out a final quiet cry, and both collapsed to the ground.

As he returned Silvally to their ball, Gladion prepared to send out another Pokémon. Nanu, however, simply reached into his pocket as he returned Persian to her Poké Ball and pulled out a key.

Gladion's eyes narrowed.

"…Is that it?" he asked, a slight puzzled tone to his voice.

"…Yep. Here. You need it more than I do," Nanu sighed, walking over to Gladion.

"Wait," Gladion replied, "I need to talk with you about something. I can't say what it is. When can we meet up again?"

Nanu gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Two days, about," he said, "I'll be back by then. If it's that important-"

"Symbiont," Gladion interrupted, his voice only a whisper, "Is that enough for you? Am I correct in assuming that you know about the Beasts?"

Something flashed in Nanu's eyes. He seemed oddly nostalgic for a moment, but more than that, he seemed slightly impressed that Gladion had made such a deduction.

Once again, he offered the key to Gladion.

"I'll be back in Po Town tomorrow." Nanu spoke with a quality to his tone that Gladion had never heard before-was that urgency in Nanu's voice? "Head there, and we'll talk."

"…You're just giving me your room?" Gladion asked, "I can make it to a Pokémon Center. You don't need to-"

"I can make my way to Malie for tonight," Nanu sighed, "You won. Take the key. I'll go clear things up at the front desk."

"All right," Gladion replied, "…Thank you, Officer."

Nanu gave a shrug to this in response as well, only turning to walk away. Gladion couldn't blame the man. Symbiont. Nihilego…Whatever the Beasts had put Nanu through, it couldn't have been pretty. There was a nagging feeling in Gladion's mind that told him that turning back from the path he was on wouldn't be such a bad idea, that whatever he would learn about Nanu from this would be unforgettable in the worst kinds of ways.

The rest of him said that the world was at stake, and that whatever trauma came from this would be nothing compared to what would happen if he wasn't taking action.

As Nanu faded from sight, Gladion silently walked towards his room.

Staying there'd be good on Silvally, and that was what he needed after their battle.

Morning hit Gladion like a hammer to his skull. In truth, he hadn't woken up on his own-It had been Silvally that roused him, their claws gently pressing against him until he finally decided to awaken from his already restless sleep. With a groan, Gladion sat up, every inch of his body aching, and pushed his partner away.

He had a plan. He just had to make sure that he'd have access to a Sharpedo before the afternoon was up…

The sun had barely risen. They had plenty of time, didn't they? Even if the dawn burned into his eyes, Gladion would make it out there quickly, and he'd make it to Po Town with time to spare.

It'd been a long time, though. He'd have to go into the town itself, if only for nostalgia's sake. He was sure that there would still be a former grunt or two hanging around. It was simply how they'd worked in Team Skull. Somebody would still, months later, be without a job or a new life, simply loitering around the abandoned town, their only company coming in the form of the wild Pokémon, passing trainers, and maybe, just maybe, Nanu.

Whether or not they liked it that way…Gladion would never be able to tell. He could only hope that they were getting by after everything.

It took a while before he was finally able to look at himself in the mirror that morning. It'd only been after getting out of bed, eating what few berries he had, and preparing himself and Silvally for the day that Gladion found himself walking back towards the corner of his motel room, pulling back the curtain to the bathroom once more and looking closely at himself.

He'd only intended to clean himself up a little more.

It was like a stranger stared back at him. His verdant eyes were rimmed with a harsh darkness, but there was a softness to them that he could hardly recall seeing before. Perhaps he had, though. Perhaps those were the eyes of his old self, the eyes that hadn't yet been touched by the Beasts or by his mother's actions. The look forming on his face was one that had been hardened by all that time he spent faced with the reality of Aether's actions, by a life spent running and fighting until the time finally came to face everything head-on. That life had been a life spent in a nest of people that had been denied the chance to pursue their dreams, their purposes, just like what Gladion had gone through.

In his eyes, he swore there was an edge of innocence returning. Memories flooded back to Gladion, bit by bit-Mental images of Lusamine holding him and Lillie close, telling them that there was nothing to be afraid of. Images of, long ago, her tucking him in, kissing his forehead and telling him she'd loved him. Images of all the time he'd spent with Lillie when everything had just started, of the times he'd told his sister that they were going to be okay, that nothing was happening to their mother.

Gladion shivered, his breaths caught in his throat, before a wave of nausea hit him. In a split second, his entire being seemed to burn. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he felt himself forcing back the taste of bile even as the stabbing pain in his belly increased with every sentence returning to his mind.

Amidst the chaos in his mind, a few specific words were able to surface:

"Must you be so untidy?"

No, Gladion thought, desperate to keep himself from losing his composure then, You're fine. You're FINE. She's not going to hurt you, you can get her out of your head! YOU'RE FINE!

His desperate mental pleas were quickly silenced by the sudden feeling of illness hitting his peak. In an instant, Gladion found himself leaning over the nearby toilet, gasping for breath as he felt everything leave him, all at once. Now, the tears were streaming down his face, staining his vibrant red cheeks as he heaved out what little remained in his stomach, with a feeling like fire coursing through his nostrils.

It felt endless. It felt like he'd been trapped, like nothing would break the hold that Gladion's past had on him, not until he felt a nudge against his shoulder. As he moved back, shuddering violently and still kneeling, he felt a few licks to his tear-stained face. Between those, muffled barks, all before Silvally simply buried their face in Gladion's neck, knocking off balance just a little before they stepped back and allowed him the chance to stand once again.

Gladion sniffled a few times before falling silent and looking to Silvally, giving a slight smile.

Silvally was there for him. At the end of the day, Gladion had accomplished his goal of saving Silvally and keeping his sister safe, and even if the Beasts were returning, he'd already sent people to Kanto. If he had any say in anything, Silvally and Lillie would both continue to be fine, because he would ensure a peaceful future.

He would take back everything that had been stolen from him. He was free. That was all he needed to remember.

Standing up, Gladion let out a shaky sigh.

"S-Silvally…Let's not…Let's cut the investigation short and just get to Tapu Village, okay? We'll rest there, and I'll page us a Charizard later."

Silvally let out a begrudging huff, clearly not wanting their trainer to leave his hotel room.

They wouldn't be leaving Gladion's side any time soon.

Nanu tapped his fingers against the wooden desk in front of him, finding the idea of collapsing back onto the sofa he sat on more and more tempting with each passing second. The slightly musty smell of Po Town's police station surrounded him, and he wondered, in that moment, just how much worse it was for his many Meowth. Rain beat down outside beneath a pitch-black sky, just like it always seemed to do on the route. Aside from that, the place had gone silent, with the only awake Pokémon in the station being Persian.

Symbiont. He'd brought himself to care about one thing in the world, for once in his life, and that was Symbiont. They'd be sending out Anabel again, and there was no doubt that she'd be literally working herself to death when that happened. She'd be nothing but bait, and if not her, then it'd be that kid, Moon…

After everything, the Beasts would be the only thing Nanu would actively fight. If they made their way to Ula'ula, they'd have to deal with him if the island's deity didn't rise up for such an occasion, and just like Tapu Bulu, he would be merciless in his approach.

Anything to avoid repeating the past. Reclining back, Nanu looked around the room, hit once again with the realization that it'd recently changed. Normally, it'd all been stagnant-bags and boxes scattered over one of three sofas in the room, multiple Meowth beds placed here and there, the metal desk in the corner that usually gathered dust, the multiple clothes hangers that held clothes that hadn't been washed for a week-but suddenly, in the corner, the addition of a gift from a few ex-Skull members had made it seem almost foreign. Perhaps the mini fridge that now sat next to the metal desk felt so odd to him because of how little he'd actually made for himself in terms of food, or perhaps it was just having something filling the space there that felt so uncanny.

Either way, much as he appreciated the thought, Nanu wondered if he'd be able to keep it out, or if he'd simply have to box it for the time being.

Shaking his head, Nanu forced himself to stand through the ache in his bones and the burning sensation that lingered in his arm. He'd take one final look outside, and then he'd be done. Futile as it'd be towards making him feel any better, he'd try to sleep through the night.

Sitting by the entrance, Persian took notice of this, stood up, and stretched out, preparing to follow her trainer outside.

Opening the door to the station, Nanu was greeted by the harsh chill of the late-night rain. Though hardly bone-chilling (then again, cold hardly ever registered to Nanu), it was definitely unusually cold for where he was. The darkness and weather in an area with such low light made it impossible for him to tell if anyone was nearby, and it only took a few minutes before Nanu decided to turn away and lock up for the night…

…Until the all-too-familiar wingbeats of a Charizard echoed through the nearby area, followed by the sound of a trainer's riding gear hitting the ground.

Persian immediately dashed away from her trainer's side.

There was no doubt in Nanu's mind that, unfortunately for him, she thought of this one as a rival.

He could hardly hear what Gladion was saying to Persian, though she quickly dashed into the nearby grass before he could move any closer. Shaking his head, Nanu called out to Gladion.

"You there. Boy. Come here."

Without a word, Gladion stepped closer, his gaze meeting Nanu's. He stood unusually straight, and his movements seemed slightly stiffer than usual. His breaths seemed shaky, though that was more likely than not due to the cold from the flight beforehand. It seemed that even riding on the back of a Fire-type hardly did anything for the cold at such altitudes.

Gladion only spoke one sentence:

"Tell me about Nihilego."

Nanu's posture shifted to one side, and he looked away from Gladion and towards the station.

"Come inside, first. I'll tell you what I can then."

"So…Before I say anything, what did they tell you?"

Gladion lay on one of the sofas in the Po Town police station, opposite the side that Nanu's desk sat at. Behind said desk, Nanu sat and waited, his eyes carrying that same nostalgic quality that Gladion had seen the night before. This time, however, that quality didn't fade at all, instead staying, providing an uncanny uncertainty to Nanu's expression.

A Meowth had decided to lay with Gladion, and it purred gently as it was curled up next to the boy. To say this was welcome to him would be an understatement; even with Silvally resting beneath him, eyes open and looking around for anything that might try to strike at their trainer, Gladion felt like he'd needed more company than ever.

"I was told," Gladion began, his voice soft, almost weak, "That the Beasts had been appearing throughout the region, and that Moon had been enlisted to aid in fighting them. When Nihilego returned, they gave me information on the various UBs. When I heard Wicke talking with that woman…Anabel. I heard them talking and began to suspect that you might have talked to Moon as well. Am I right, then? Did you fight them in the past?"

Nanu gave a slow nod.

"Yeah. Back when she first joined Interpol, Anabel worked under me." Nanu's voice wavered slightly at the mention of when Anabel joined. "Before I go on, though…That all they told you? Did they ever tell you why they sent Moon, specifically, aside from her being the Champion?"

"…They didn't. In that same conversation, though," Gladion replied, "They mentioned something called a 'Faller.' Is that part of this?"

"Fallers…" Nanu sighed, leaning forward in his place, "Fallers're people who've passed through the Ultra Wormhole. Most of 'em come out without any memory of things, and those monsters…they think these people can lead 'em home. So they attack 'em. See what I'm getting at here?"

Gladion's eyes widened, and he sat up immediately, feeling a stab of anxiety in his chest. The Meowth that had been sitting with him simply leapt down, letting out a soft hiss as it walked off to find a new resting place.

"They what?!" Gladion gasped, "You're not telling me that they…! A-And they sent Moon?!"

"They did," Nanu continued, "And Anabel…She's one of 'em as well. If the UBs're appearing again, she'll start literally working herself to death again."

"But then-! Lillie is-! You!" Gladion immediately rose from his seat, walking over to Nanu with balled fists and his face contorted into a snarl. He loomed over the man (as much as his small stature allowed him to, at least), breathing heavily. "What else didn't they say?!"

Nanu leaned back once again, closing his eyes.

"They're still Pokémon. Extradimensional, but still Pokémon. If not caught, they can be taken down," Nanu said, turning slightly towards the door to the station, "Isn't that what they were created for?"

Nanu gestured to Silvally, who still lay on the floor and was quickly falling asleep, no matter how awake they tried to be for Gladion.

"Silvally…Yes, they were created for killing Beasts," Gladion began, "But Silvally shouldn't be defined by that purpose. They're still a Pokémon, and they still have their own will to live as one. Even saying that…We both know we're going to be on the front lines against them."

Nanu shook his head at this, opening his eyes once more to return the glare plastered on Gladion's face.

"So tell me, boy. What have you done about all this, then? What happened to Symbiont?"

Gladion backed down slightly.

"…That's strictly classified information. You of all people should be able to make a few connections, though," Gladion replied, his breaths evening out little by little, "Shouldn't you?"

"You lost it, and a quick check to international news should be enough to tell me who it got to," Nanu stated, not missing a beat, "So…you know what happened to Hoenn's ex-Champion, then?"

"Mr. Stone is at Aether Paradise. We're keeping him in almost complete isolation under Interpol's orders," Gladion sighed, "Aside from our Branch Chief's brief visits and any interactions he has with the medical staff, he's alone."

"And as for how you're handling everything else?"

Was Nanu challenging him? No, that couldn't be right. Moving back to the sofa he'd been sitting on, Gladion laid himself down once more, exhaling gently.

"I've sent out Aether's field workers to both Kanto and Johto, to start," Gladion explained, "Before that, we'd sent out a group to Hoenn. We're determined to keep an eye on as much of the world as we can for now."

"…You're doing better than I thought you'd be doing, at least," Nanu huffed, "Take my advice: When the time comes for you to head out and fight 'em yourself…Don't hesitate."

"Humph. Is that it, then? Is that all you had to tell me?" Gladion moved to step out of the station, only stopped by the sight of the Meowth returning. "Because if so, we'll be leaving for Aether Paradise again."

"If you're sure you can make it back," Nanu replied, "I've told you all I can. While you're out there, though-"

Nanu was interrupted by the light sound of something scratching against the door.

"…Never mind that. Just let Persian in."

Gladion simply stepped up, walking towards the door and opening it, Silvally following behind him. He was greeted by Persian, who seemed all too eager to see him, to the point of immediately rubbing against his leg, purring loudly as she dropped something at his feet. The door shut behind her, and Gladion looked down.

Staring back at him was a dead Rattata. Gladion recoiled back in disgust, giving Persian a mortified look.

Persian let out a proud meow, sitting down in front of Gladion and looking at him expectantly.

Gladion looked back to Nanu, who simply shrugged.

"She thinks you're her kid," Nanu sighed, "Not like she needs another."

"Th-These are all…?" Gladion gasped, "A-And she what?!"

"Yep." Nanu paused, gesturing for Persian to lie down next to him. "…She gets around. She must've thought you were hungry…and if you are, take something from the fridge before you leave. "

Gladion's breath hitched as he looked to the Rattata again. Regardless of any natural order, it still didn't change the fact that Persian had brought him a dead Pokémon. Nanu stood up once more, walking over to Gladion.

"Here, I'll get this." Without an ounce of hesitation, Nanu leaned down and picked up the Rattata before flinging it outside with little fanfare. "…You still planning on leaving? Once you're gone, I'm locking up for the night."

Gladion fell silent, suddenly finding himself nauseated once more at the sight of Nanu so calmly picking up the Rattata. No, he couldn't…

This wasn't going to be like earlier.

Still, a Charizard would take a little time to get there, and Gladion's body still felt weighed down long after all the time he'd taken to rest. He needed sleep more than anything, and it seemed that this was the only place he'd get it.

"…No, I won't leave. I'll be sleeping here. Thank you, Officer," Gladion breathed.

"All right. Take the sofa you were on. There should be an extra blanket around here somewhere."

Gladion returned to the sofa, stretching out once more and letting himself breathe. Below him, Silvally settled onto the ground, finally able to catch a little sleep themself. They'd both had enough of a hard day, and sleep would do them good, even if said sleep came to them in such an area.

A few moments passed before Nanu tossed a blanket over to Gladion, then turned to what would function as his own bed that night.

"…'Night," Gladion whispered, "Thanks for the info. I'll be out as soon as I can tomorrow."

Nanu didn't reply, simply shut the lights off for the night and settled in.

Neither of them had done anything before. They'd both be sleeping in their clothes from before, one with nothing to change into and the other too exhausted to bother. Something about that conversation had been draining on Nanu, far more than it should have, and Gladion…No, he couldn't feel any guilt. They'd agreed to this. He'd needed this information, and he'd be holding his emotions back until the next day, or even possibly until he faced the agents from Interpol.

Gladion hoped that his sleep would be dreamless. He hoped for nothing more than a moment of silence and emptiness, unhaunted by any ghosts from his past that may have been trying to get in since the incident earlier.

All he needed when he slept was the feeling of security, the feeling that the man on the other side of the room wasn't going to do a thing to him.

Gladion drifted off, hoping that contention would last until morning. Regardless of any of the revelations from his conversation with Nanu, he had to sleep, just once, so he could fight back.

One day, he would be on the front lines, and when he was…Nanu's words echoed in his mind.

"Don't hesitate."

"Phoebe? Please wake up, dear…"

Phoebe groaned as she awoke in a ship's cabin, her grandmother's words passing through her head once more. Oh, that woman…she had such a strange way of working.

Nothing but the same beige walls and dull gray carpet greeted her. Everything in the room seemed to lack personality, though Phoebe supposed this was to be expected-she'd been traveling cheap. Knowing how things were going, she'd have to head back to Hoenn after this.

She just had to speak with Steven. Stepping out of bed and stretching, the thought of having to face Interpol at the end of all this crossed her mind. Would that be the end result? If she could negotiate such a thing with Aether, then perhaps…As unlikely as it was, she was one of the Elite Four, and she'd had to leave May's side because of her errand. Then again…

Phoebe recalled her comrades' reactions to her following the incident. She wouldn't dare show any sort of weakness or submission in the face of death; it simply wasn't the way of a ghost-user to grieve. They'd needed space, as well. Space away from her until they'd finally started to recover not just from losing Wallace, but from their mixed feelings regarding Steven. Even months after the fact, nothing seemed to have changed.

It was all so frustrating, being numbed to tragedy, for both herself and for those around her.

Taking a deep breath, Phoebe changed out of her nightgown, taking a long look at herself in the mirror as she adorned her hair with the same two flowers she'd placed in it for so many years. She hardly looked different, and she supposed this was good. Perhaps she'd look different after she left Alola. No, she'd definitely look different. She could make it through her trip, she knew she could. Even with all the apprehension gripping her from having to speak with Steven…

Phoebe left her cabin, moving out to the ship's deck.

Ula'ula Island had appeared on the horizon, and the sun rose up from behind it, painting the sky a vibrant orange.

Yes…Between the fresh sea breeze and the sight of such a sunrise, Phoebe realized that she was the only one fit for such a task. She'd had a goal, and she'd follow that goal for as long as she could.

She had to talk to Steven.